The Arena Football League was founded in 1987 as a springtime and wintertime American football indoor league. Attendance at AFL games in 2002 averaged almost 10,000 people per game. The Arena Football League also maintains a minor league called AF2.

The AFL was founded by Jim Foster, a former NFL and USFL executive. In fact, he had a contract in hand in 1983 to play an exhibition game on NBC, 20 years before the first regular season games appeared on NBC. He abandoned the plan though when the USFL was formed, and did not return to his newly created sport until 1986.

For the 2003 season, the Arena Football League made a deal with the NBC television network to televise league games. In conjunction with this, the league moved the beginning of the season from May to February (the week after the NFL's Super Bowl) and scheduled most of its games on Sunday instead of Friday or Saturday as it had in the past.

The Rules of the Game can be found on the Arena Football page.

Table of contents
1 2004 Teams
2 Championship Games

2004 Teams


NATIONAL CONFERENCE


Eastern Division
Carolina Cobras
Columbus Destroyers
Dallas Desperados
New York Dragons
Philadelphia Soul

Southern Division
Austin Wranglers
Georgia Force
New Orleans VooDoo
Orlando Predators
Tampa Bay Storm


AMERICAN CONFERENCE

Central Division
Chicago Rush
Colorado Crush
Detroit Fury
Grand Rapids Rampage
Indiana Firebirds

Western Division
Arizona Rattlers
Las Vegas Gladiators
Los Angeles Avengers
San Jose Sabercats

Defunct Teams

(partial list)
Anaheim Piranhas
Charlotte Rage
Chicago Bruisers
Cincinnati Rockers
Cleveland Thunderbolts
Dallas Texans
Denver Dynamite
Florida Bobcats
Fort Worth Cavalry
Houston Thunderbears
Los Angeles Cobras
Massachusetts Marauders
Milwaukee Mustangs
Minnesota Fighting Pike
New England Steamrollers
New Orleans Night
New York Knights
Oklahoma Wranglers
San Antonio Force
St. Louis Stampede
Toronto Phantoms
Washington Commandos

Championship Games

The Arena Football League's championship game is called the ArenaBowl.

Arena Football League Official Website: http://www.arenafootball.com